NY Times writer reflects on being a Master Gardener trainee
Taking a Class, Joining a Tribe
By ANNE RAVER
WHEN I signed up for a master gardening class last fall, I knew I would fill some of the gaps in my self-education as a gardener, but I didn’t know that I would find such an eclectic family of like-minded souls.
From the New York Times September 13, 2007
Lori Bushway | Articles for the public, Resources
i think it’s great that you got an artical in the new york times. i am a new master gardener in dutchess county. i was thinking of trying to write some articals for my local paper. how should i go about it? any tips?
Maryann and others,
I consulted with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s communication specialists (Jackie Dowdell) and she provided this advice:
I guess what I would do if I were looking to pitch articles to the local paper is to first study the newspaper (or their Web site) and see what kinds of community stories are in there, how they are angled, the approximate length, how stories are timed, and so forth. I’d read several editions over a few weeks or months and think about what kinds of human interest stories the paper seems to like, what they’re publishing. The Poughkeepsie Journal Web site, for example, has a section called “Life,” with a recipe page. I’d read that Life section and think about what might be in there related to what I do and how it could help me spin an article. There’s also an “Entertainment” section with dining and arts pages. I’d read these sections carefully and see how stories are structured and how they read, and think about how I might structure a story related to gardening that would appeal to an audience of gardeners and non-gardeners alike that enjoys reading these pages.
Then I’d think about news worthy things going on in that community–what’s happening with the school system, what are the local initiatives, environmental issues, etc. I’d also check out the Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County Web site, and maybe talk to some Extension educators about the work they’re doing locally. Once I had a kind of objective idea of what the local landscape looked like, and what the newspaper seemed interested in covering, some of the local challenges and programs, that kind of thing, I’d think about an article the newspaper editor might like to see and try to write something that has seasonal and/or local appeal. Maybe it’s related to a topic of concern. Maybe to the approach of fall or winter. If there’s a lot of discussion in the paper about the environment, maybe an article on rain gardens. Or, for instance, on the CCE Dutchess County Web site, there’s mention of sightings of Mile-a-Minute in the towns of Lagrange and Poughquag. Perhaps write an article about invasive plants, talk to some people at the Department of Environmental Conservation about the problem for context and background on its impact on the local community, and write a piece that tries to educate the public about why invasive plants are such a problem.
Another good way to start a relationship with the paper is simply to write a letter to the editor responding to an article you’ve seen on a subject that you have some expertise in, which in this case would be a subject that has some relevance to gardening.